Founders
Meet Shon Williams
Shon E. Williams was born and raised in New Orleans. At 17, Shon was
sentenced to a mandatory life sentence in prison. Shon served 26 years in the
Louisiana State Penitentiary. With no hope of coming home, Shon tried to make his situation better. During his incarceration, Shon obtained his GED, became a
Certified Sign Language Interpreter, and was the first inmate in Louisiana’s
Department of Corrections to become a Certified Veterinarian’s Assistant. Shon
worked in the prison library until his release in 2019. Shon is a member of the
Louisiana Parole Project and the Community Advisory board for the University of New Orleans.
Meet Louis Gibson
Louis Gibson is a Resentencing Client Advocate at Orleans Public Defenders, where he passionately advocates for second chances and redemption. His own journey of transformation includes overcoming a life sentence handed down when he was just 17, a fate shared by over 300 individuals in Louisiana for crimes committed in their youth.
Having benefited from the significant legal milestones of Miller v. Alabama and Montgomery v. Louisiana, as well as the legislative progress of Act 277, Louis was released in 2018. He then devoted himself to the Louisiana Parole Project’s residential reentry program and subsequently joined the organization as a reentry specialist, supporting others on their path to reintegration. Louis’s dedication to second chances extends to his work with Catholic Charities, where he served as a case manager in their reentry division, aiding homeless men transitioning out of prison. As an author of “Twelve Points to Reentry, Redemption and Rehabilitation,” Louis continues to inspire others with his belief in the transformative power of redemption and the resilience that comes with embracing new beginnings. His commitment to supporting marginalized individuals in rebuilding their lives is a true testament to the impact of compassion and advocacy in the criminal justice system.